Latest news with #Shiites
L'Orient-Le Jour
4 days ago
- Politics
- L'Orient-Le Jour
Facing the 'targeting' of its community, Hezbollah advocates internal unity
In these tense times in the region, many observers have recalled that in a recent speech, Hezbollah Secretary-General Naim Qassem warned of an 'existential threat against the resistance, its popular environment, its supporters, as well as against Lebanon and all its components.' At the time, the statement was widely seen as an attempt by Qassem to amplify the perceived threat to Hezbollah and its support base, as a means of justifying the group's continued possession of weapons. But in light of recent events in Sweida, those remarks have taken on new meaning. According to several Shiite figures, the United States is now backing the region's main community — the Sunnis — at the expense of minorities. One such figure said Israeli conduct during last year's war with Hezbollah indicates the entire Shiite community, not just Hezbollah supporters, is being targeted. He cited the harassment and targeting of Shiites not only in southern villages and Beirut, but also in Kesrouan, Jbeil, and even Zgharta, arguing that Israel appears intent on pushing the entire Shiite community out of southern Lebanon — not just Hezbollah operatives. These fears have deepened since regime change in Syria brought to power a president from the Sunni community, particularly its Islamist wing. Among the Shiite community in Lebanon — and Hezbollah in particular — there is now a growing sense of persecution when it comes to Syria, especially following sectarian violence against Alawites along Syria's coast, attacks on Christian holy sites and recent fighting targeting the Druze in Sweida. While the various developments in Syria may not be directly linked, Shiite figures say they are watching closely the shifts happening in Lebanon's Sunni community. In the months after Hamas' Oct. 7 attack and Hezbollah's decision to open a support front in southern Lebanon, many Sunnis were reportedly supportive of Hezbollah's stance. But since Ahmad al-Sharaa came to power in Damascus, this mood has shifted, and many Sunnis have reverted to a more traditionally hostile stance toward Hezbollah, the source said. In this context, Saudi Arabia has begun taking a more active role in Lebanon — particularly in support of the Sunni community, which has felt politically abandoned since the de facto political exit of its former leader, Future Movement chief Saad Hariri. For nearly eight months — since just before the Jan. 9, 2025, presidential election — Saudi Arabia has sent multiple delegations to Lebanon, including a special envoy, Prince Yazid bin Farhan. Riyadh also encouraged Grand Mufti Abdellatif Derian to visit Syria at the head of a large delegation and facilitated a meeting between the Lebanese and Syrian defense ministers in Jeddah to address bilateral tensions. According to the same Shiite figures, these moves are part of a broader American strategy. The U.S., they say, is now placing its bets on the Sunni communities in Lebanon, Syria, and possibly even Iraq to shift the regional balance and reduce hostility toward Israel. They believe Washington has already tried to court the region's minorities — from Saddam Hussein's Sunni-led Iraq during the Iran-Iraq War, to the Alawite regime in Syria (with Secretary of State Colin Powell making overtures to Bashar al-Assad in 2003), to Lebanon's Christians — without success. Now, the U.S. is once again betting on the Sunnis and is using all tools at its disposal to encourage normalization with Israel. All of these developments have led some in the Shiite community to fear that they are being collectively targeted. Hezbollah, for its part, remains convinced that the ultimate U.S.-Israeli goal is to bring down the Iranian regime, thereby depriving Shiites of the only state capable of supporting them. Still, sources close to Hezbollah deny that the party harbors any offensive intentions. On the contrary, they say, Hezbollah is working to reinforce internal peace, primarily to protect its own community, which, in their view, has no choice but to draw closer to other communities in Lebanese society.
OC Media
5 days ago
- Politics
- OC Media
Azerbaijan's Bar Association attacks independent lawyers over public statements
Sign in or or Become a member to unlock the audio version of this article Join the voices Aliyev wants to silence. For over eight years, OC Media has worked with fearless journalists from Azerbaijan — some of whom now face decades behind bars — to bring you the stories the regime is afraid will get out. Help us fuel Aliyev's fears — become an OC Media member today Become a member Anar Baghirov, the chair of Azerbaijan's Bar Association, has criticised 'some lawyers' for publicly discussing their cases 'in an unethical manner'. He warned that 'more serious measures' will be taken against those lawyers in the future. Baghirov made the statement in an interview with nominally independent media outlet on 18 July. In the interview, he said that 'some lawyers are bringing individual court cases to public discussion on social media, sometimes in an unethical manner'. Baghirov added that up until today, they had only urged the lawyers in regard, but promised 'more serious measures' would be taken in the future. While Baghirov has not specified what exactly constitutes 'unethical behaviour', or which lawyers he was referring to, he announced that disciplinary measures were being planned against some of them. 'I would not like to see the opinion among judges that lawyers manipulate the process. We are free professionals and must act responsibly to protect our professional freedom. Some lawyers express unfounded, subjective, and sometimes false opinions about the courts and other state institutions, which can be regarded as slander and insult', he said. Baghirov concluded his statement by warning that 'serious control measures' would be taken by the association should lawyers continue publicly discussing their cases. 'We cannot agree with such a picture, and serious control measures will be taken in this direction. We must remember that each of us represents the entire Azerbaijani Bar. The activities, behaviour, and words of each lawyer affect the reputation of the bar as a whole.' Advertisement 'A wrong step by one lawyer can harm the entire Bar Association, as well as the attitude of society towards the bar', Baghirov said. Limiting lawyers' freedom of expression In their coverage of Baghirov's remarks, independent news outlet Meydan TV cited former human rights lawyer Yalchin Imanov, who stated he was disbarred from the association in 2017 for openly criticising cases of torture in Azerbaijan's legal system. He was disbarred after being found guilty of slandering the Deputy Head of the Penitentiary Service, Ogtay Mammadov, whom he had accused of torturing one of his clients, Abbas Huseynov. Huseynov was detained in 2015 during Azerbaijan's crackdown on Shiites and the Muslim Unity Movement in Nardaran. Imanov has sent a series of complaints to the authorities regarding Huseynov's alleged torture. 'When we talk about punishment, we talk about the removal of a lawyer from professional activity and expulsion from the Bar Association. We see that in the country, lawyers who are mainly involved in the protection of human rights are persecuted and punished, this is done under different names', Imanov told Meydan TV. He also told Meydan TV that Azerbaijan's adoption of a lawyers' code of conduct in December 2017 significantly limited lawyers' freedom of expression. 'Lawyers will refrain from speaking out about a particular decision of a court or judge, regardless of whether he or she has made a fair decision or an illegal, unfounded verdict. This deprives lawyers of the opportunity to express critical opinions about the judicial system and judges', he said, adding that he believed the association was guided by the 'instructions of political authorities'. According to its charter, the Bar Association of Azerbaijan is a non-governmental, independent, non-commercial, and self-managed organisation. However, throughout its history, the association has disbarred a number of lawyers who were engaged in political activities or were critical of the authorities, including Khalid Baghirov, Irada Javadova, Asabali Mustafayev, Fakhraddin Mehdiyev, Nemat Karimli, and a number of others.
Memri
6 days ago
- Politics
- Memri
Zeinab Akil, Daughter of Hizbullah Military Commander Ibrahim Akil, Killed by Israel in 2024: If Hizbullah Can No Longer Import Weapons from Iran, We Could Always Use Our Bare Bodies as Weapons
Lebanese journalist Zeinab Akil discussed the future of Hizbullah in a July 15, 2025 interview with LebanonOn (YouTube). Akil said that Hizbullah won the 2006 war with Israel, after which it became a regional player, engaging in strategic expansion and increasing its influence in the region. She stated that being on Western terror lists is an honor for Hizbullah, and that this is why Hizbullah can never be tempted to become merely a political party. Akil said that Shiites are proud to end their lives with martyrdom, but this does not mean they seek to die or do not value life. She added that if Iran did not supply Hizbullah with weapons, it would obtain them from India, China, Russia, or elsewhere, and therefore Hizbullah should not be called an Iranian proxy or an 'Iranian export.' According to Akil, all attempts to bring about Hizbullah's disintegration have failed. She said that if a worst‑case scenario were to occur, she herself is already planning to carry out a suicide attack, and she would not be the only one to do so. She asserted that Hizbullah and the entire Shiite sect in Lebanon would become a 'time bomb' of martyrdom‑seekers. Akil said she cannot imagine South Lebanon without Hizbullah's weapons, but just as Hamas obtains weapons despite a siege, Hizbullah would find ways to bring in weapons from elsewhere and, if necessary, fight with their bare bodies. She added that even a stabbing attack with a knife in Israel makes Israelis say they are exhausted and cannot take it anymore. 'Every person, every individual will become a weapon,' she said. Zeinab Akil is the daughter of Hizbullah military commander Ibrahim Akil (also spelled Aqil), who was killed by Israel in September 2024.
DW
14-07-2025
- Politics
- DW
Muhammadu Buhari: A legacy of 'praise and pain' – DW – 07/14/2025
The strongman-turned-democrat led Nigeria twice — as military ruler from 1983 to 1985 and as elected president from 2015 to 2023. Muhammadu Buhari died at 82 in a London clinic on July 13. Muhammadu Buhari leaves a mixed legacy in Nigeria. He is remembered for trying to foster integrity in the country and for leadership that was deeply flawed. "From his military era to his two-term civilian presidency, he leaves behind a legacy filled with both praise and pain. We must reflect on justice and accountability," Sheriff Ansu, a digital content creator, said. Human rights activists say Buhari never let go of his autocratic tendencies. "Buhari was an ethnic bigot. He had contempt for the rule of law; he disobeyed court orders. He engaged in enforced disappearances of critics," Omoyele Sowore, an Abuja-based activist, told DW. "In 2015, he presided over mass murder of over 300 Shiites in Zaria. Young Nigerians protesting police brutality were gunned down in October 2020 by soldiers directed by Buhari. That is unforgettable and unforgivable." The protests were part of a movement dubbed #EndSARS, named after a special police unit accused for years of racketeering, torture and murder. The Buhari government violently crushed the movement. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Buhari defeated Goodluck Jonathan at the polls in 2015, in what was judged to be Nigeria's fairest general election to date. Not everyone liked having a former military general at the country's helm. Many nevertheless hoped he would crack down on armed groups. "He is one man who believed in making Nigeria the best place to live on Earth. He tried his best to bring Nigerians together as military ruler and a democratically elected leader," Yusuf Dantalle, chairman of Nigeria's Inter Party Advisory Council, told DW. "That does not mean he was perfect. He had his flaws like any other human being." "What stands out is that his presidency triggered national conversations around leadership accountability, youth inclusion and restructuring of systems to entrench democracy," Osasu Igbinedion Ogwuche, a media entrepreneur told DW. Many had expected Buhari's tenure as democratically-elected leader to be characterized by the kind of discipline, order and stability of a military veteran. Buhari described himself as a "converted democrat" when he swapped his military uniform for kaftans and prayer caps. "I belong to everybody and I belong to nobody," was his constant refrain to both supporters and critics. But Buhari's lacklustre leadership often made headlines and earned him the moniker "Baba Go Slow." It took him six months to name his ministers in 2015 and the oil-dependent economy was hobbled by low crude prices. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Buhari earned a devoted following for his brand of anti-corruption conviction politics. But his crackdowns on corruption also ran into criticism and failed to yield high-profile convictions. He retained his popularity in the country's poor and largely Muslim north, where he was from and where voters propelled him to his second term in 2019, That came despite a term that was blighted by Nigeria's first recession in a generation, attacks on oilfields by militants. Buhari was seen to repeatedly ignore advice from the International Monetary Fund to devalue the naira. Instead he kept the currency artificially high — the same failed approach he used as military ruler in the 1980s. In 2022 the production of oil — by far Nigeria's greatest export — fell to its lowest level in more than two decades due to theft in the Niger Delta. Frail health often interfered with Buhari's tenure as president. He made frequent trips to hospitals abroad for an undisclosed illness. In 2017, rumor of his death swirled after he disappeared from public eye for 51 days, reportedly to undergo treatment. Buhari's death at a London health facility reminded many Nigerian citizens of his medical trips and the controversy it had courted. Buhari, an ethnic Fulani and devout Muslim was born on December 17, 1942, in the northern Katsina state. He joined the army at 20 and rose quickly through the ranks, becoming an officer and the military governor of the states of Northeast and Bauchi. In 1976, the country's then military ruler Olusegun Obasanjo appointed Buhari as petroleum and energy minister. The position put him in charge of a newly founded National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC). Despite his new key role in Africa's largest oil producers, Buhari returned to the army as a commander, rejoining its Supreme Military Council, and leading several units. In 2003, he was presidential candidate for the All Nigeria's Peoples Party. His defeat was follwed by similarly unsuccessful bids in 2007 and 2011. In 2015, Buhari finally won the presidency with 54% of the vote. He had promised to fight rampant corruption and defeat the Islamist terrorist Boko Haram militia. "The symbolic thing about his victory is the fact that he is considered one of Nigeria's most incorruptible leaders. That is significant in a country where the population does not believe people in important positions deserve such a reputation," Manji Cheto, the vice president of Teneo Intelligence, said at the time. On December 31, 1983, when General Ibrahim Babangida and other members of the military overthrew elected President Shehu Shagari, Buhari was appointed to chair Nigeria's Supreme Military Council. To play this audio please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 audio He went on to suspend the Constitution, ban all political parties, and clamp down on corruption — making good on his threat at the time to jail the corrupt "without the nonsense of judicial proceedings." Under Buhari's "war on indiscipline" nearly 500 people were jailed for corruption and wasting taxpayers' money. Public servants were reportedly made to genuflect for coming late to work. Buhari had people executed, was intolerant of criticism and restricted press freedom. Nobellaureate Wole Soyinka said Nigerians felt they were living under an "iron-fisted, rigid rule and governance that spreads fear." Ironically, Buhari's reign ended as it started: in a coup staged by General Babangida in August 1985. In the 2022-2023 presidential race, Buhari endorsed Bola Tinubu who had been dishing out praise over his dedication to national unity, reforms and discipline. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video
Free Malaysia Today
10-07-2025
- Politics
- Free Malaysia Today
Shi'ite cleric shot dead near Syria's Homs
Shi'ites are estimated to number just 300,000 in Sunni-majority Syria. (EPA Images pic) BEIRUT : An influential Shi'ite cleric was shot dead in central Syria, a conflict monitor said today, with the faith's highest body in the country denouncing his 'assassination'. Sheikh Rassul Shahud was the first Shi'ite religious leader to be killed since predominantly Sunni Islamists toppled long-time leader Bashar al-Assad in December, raising concerns for the safety of religious and ethnic minorities in the country. His bullet-riddled body was found yesterday near Homs, said the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. 'Armed men fired on Sheikh Shahud, who was in a car near a checkpoint of the security forces' leading to his village of Mazraa, said the Britain-based monitor, which relies on a network of sources inside Syria. The Islamic scholarly council representing Syria's Shi'ite community denounced his 'assassination' as a 'flagrant attack on the voice of moderation and unity, and a desperate attempt to sow discord'. The statement, signed by the body's vice-president Adham al-Khatib, urged authorities to 'shed light on the circumstances of this heinous crime' and to 'prosecute its perpetrators and instigators so that they are punished'. Shi'ites are estimated to number just 300,000 in Sunni-majority Syria, and the community was quick to offer support to the country's new authorities, with a delegation of dignitaries meeting interim president Ahmed al-Sharaa in March. Shahud's killing comes after other recent incidents of violence targeting religious minorities, including massacres of Alawites along the country's coast, clashes with the Druze community in the south and a suicide bombing at an Orthodox church in Damascus.
